RPC/HTTPS – Firewall Issue????

I've configured my exchange server (not and AD server or GC) to accept RPC over HTTPS requests. It's working beautifully when connected to from systems inside our network, but when I try and connect from the internet, it's not working. If I open up all ports from the internet, it'll connect via TCP/IP, but not HTTPS, if I leave only port 443 open, I can get into OWA from the internet, but not the exchange server via outlook. I don't have any front end/back end servers configured, and I'm not running a GC on the exchange server. My firewall is a PIX 515e. Any ideas how to troubleshoot this?
Thanks
Jason

Answer Wiki

To access from outlook you will need to setup smtp and pop3 one for incoming one for outgoing. The problem will be if some one logs on to download there mail and it gets interupted or out of sync the e-mail gets messed up. To avoid this external mail is only allowed from OWA and our users use Outlook when internal. This has worked very well every thing stays on the exchange server resulting in much easier restores when a user messes up their e-mail. The exchange server uses a xchange Archiving Tool keeping the amount of data on the server itself small.

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Hi Jason! I would like to say that "kzander" is incorrect in his reply. You do not need an smtp and pop3 connection setup. The following is what you need to do to get your RPC over HTTP going.
You only need port 80 open on your firewall for the RPC over HTTP because the front-end RPC proxy will handle the encryption. Your firewall will only see the HTTP traffic and will pass it through to your RPC proxy. You do however need to install "RPC over HTTP Proxy" on your Exchange box which can be done in "Add Remove Programs/Add Remove Windows Components/Networking Services" and select "RPC over HTTP Proxy".
You also need Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 running Outlook 2003 with SP1 or SP2 on the client side. Under the connections tab of the Outlook email account configuration diaglog you will have a new option at the bottom of the box for "Exchange over the Internet". You will need to select the option to "Connect to my Exchange mailbox using HTTP". In this the URL needs to be set to your public IP address that is routed to the machine running the RPC Proxy (in this case your Exchange Server). You can use a FQDN if you have a public DNS record such as "rpcmail.mydomain.com" OR you can use the actual public IP address.
VERY IMPORTANT!!! The client needs to be either on a VPN or connected to the LAN during the initial setup of the RPC over HTTP and the "Use Exchange in Cached mode" must be enabled. Exchange will push metadata and your mailbox structure to the laptop. After the outlook client has completed the initial synchronization you will be able to access the server from any internet connection.
Here is a guide to the entire procedure:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/guides/E2k3RPCHTTPDep/1bdd45cc-e141-4901-a686-ec2e6482217b.mspx
You should be up and running in no time!

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